Ripper type mining machine



Sept. 4, 1962 A.'| MCLAUGHLIN ET Al. 3,052,455

RIPPER TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-*Sheet 1 T Q El ATTORNEYS Sept. 4, 1962 A. MCLAUGHLIN ET AL 3,052,455

RIPPER TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 .4. Ik A s A n INVENTORS F 1 g. 3 Asa Lloyd McLaugh/in Frederick J. Priesnifz Russe/l G. Haworth Wi//am M. Fleming L. Stevens Conder Bert L. Frosf ATTORNEYS Sept. 4, 1962 AL L. MCLAUGHLIN ET AL 3,052,455

RIPPER TYPE MINING MACHINE Filed Jan. 8, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Q/ Asa Lloyd McLaughlin Frederick J. Pr/'esniz Russe/l G. Haworth Will/'am M. Fleming L. Stevens Conder Ber? L. Frosf AT TORNEYS 3,052,455 PER TYPE MINING MAC Asa L. McLaughlin, Frederick J. Priesnitz, Russell G. Haworth, William M. Fleming, L. Stevens Conder, and Bert L. Frost, all of Carlsbad, N. Mex., assignors to Potash Company of America, Carlsbad, N. Mex., a

corporation of Colorado Filed `lan. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 785,635 1 Claim. (Cl. 262-26) This invention relates to apparatus for continuous mechanical mining, including breaking ore from an ore face, gathering or collecting the broken ore from a surface on which it falls `and conveying the collected ore to a point of discharge rearwardly of the mining operation. Such apparatus is particularly suited for mining of relatively thick deposits including gypsum, coal and trona, as well as relatively soft ores, and more particularly sylvinite ore.

A variety of machines have been developed for mining such underground deposits, some of which have a rotary cutter mounted on a horizontal axis and others are mounted on a vertical axis. Machines having a cutter mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis utilize a short radius of swinging movement in order to provide adequate power in the ascending or descending cutting -action and consequently require considerable mobility in order to move through a succession of horizontal cutting positions to make the necessary vertical cuts on the face.

The present invention represents a departure from prior practice in that the cutter is of suicient width to require only one vertical cut in driving entries or forming rooms along a vein. For example, a vein which runs thirteen or fourteen feet wide and seven to fourteen feet in height can be mined in a single progressive advance along the vein without impedance from its twisting path. In such an operation, it is preferable to maintain a substantially Vertical face on the working and the present invention provided such a cutting action even though the rotary cutter is mounted on a pivoted boom capable of raising the cutter from a lower sumping position to an upper finishing position as much -as fourteen `feet above the oor level.

Accordingly it is an object of our invention to provide a novel method of mining ores, including breaking ore in an area of substantial width extending throughout the thickness of the vein, during a progressive advancing movement in a succession of vertical cut-s, forming the face `of the heading in a substantially vertical plane in each cutting action, gathering the finely divided ore removed from such face by said cutting action, and conveying the gathered ore to `an elevated point of discharge behind the mining operation.

Another object of our invention is to provide efficient, durable and economical apparatus for underground mining operations having a high degree of mobility and adapted to tilt forwardly, rearwardly or to either side so as to maintain a substantially linear cutting path while supported on a floor of varying contour and inclination.

A further object of our invention is to provide eicient, durable and economical apparatus for underground mining operations having a supporting system for a pivoted boom carrying a rotary cutter mounted on a horizontal axis, which system varies and distributes the points of support during the progress of a cutting swing of the boom in a given operational position.

Other objects reside in novel details of construction and novel combinations and `arrangements of parts, all of which will become apparent during the course of the following description.

The practice ofthe present invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred structural embodiment, and the sequence of operations comprising the novel method of the present invention. ln the drawings in the several views of which like parts bear similar reference numerals,

FIG. l is a perspective View of a mining machine utilizing features of our invention with supply lines of the hydraulic system and vsimilar secondary parts omitted to show the main operating components in more detail;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevation of a machine embodying features of the present invention with the boom in the sumping in position of the mining operation;

FIG. 3 is a View similar to FIG. 2 with the boom raised to the maximum elevated position of the mining operation;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the mining machine shown in FIG. l and drawn to a reduced scale;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the machine shown in FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is an isometric view, on an enlarged scale, of the forward pivotal support assembly for a portion of the `apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIG. l, the mining machine of our invention comprises a self-propelled unit 12, preferably of the crawler type, having a frame 13, which has a double pivotal `connection with an intermediate frame member 16 near its forward end. The intermediate frame member yhas an upwardly inclined portion extending rearwardly of the machine which provides an elevated pivotal connection with an upper or main frame member 17, which functions as a boom for the support of a rotary cutter unit 18 mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis at its forward end.

The cutter unit 18 comprises sectional (here shown as three sections) drum-type heads 19, 19a and 19h, driven by two endless cutter chains 20 for rotation about two stub shafts 21 mounted horizontally at each end of the central section 19 and carried in anti-friction bearings by bars or plates 23 rigidly fastened tothe side of main frame 17 by bolts 24 or other suitable fastenings. The outer heads 19a and 19h are keyed or splined and locked to the stub shafts 2l and `are so designed that sections of varying length may be mounted to vary selectively the width of fthe cut.

The several drum sections are of the same outside diameter as the bight ends of the `cutter chains and carry a series of cutter bits 25, and similar bits 26 on chains 20 are arranged to cut the same depth as bits 25 so that the entire length of the sectional drum or head 13 will be able to `cut continuously through the face of the deposit to a depth equal to the diameter of the drum in one -swinging movement.

One of the `features of novelty in this arrangement is that the combination of sections comprising the rotary cutter may cut the lface to a preselected width so that the machine can advance progressively in a succession of vertical cuts comprising the width of the entry or room in which such operation is performed. Preferably the cutter bits may be mounted or dismounted in a simple and quick operation.

Power to drive the chains 20 and cutter heads 19, 19a and 19h is provided by two special motors 27 and speed reducers or gear mechanisms 28 so as to provide independent drive to each end of cutter y18. The motors 2.7, gears 28, side plates 23 and heads 19, 19a and 1912 are moun-ted in alinement on the main frame 17 which constitutes the boom, pivoted about linkage 29, and leveling jacks 53 to the intermediate yframe 16. As shown in FIG. l, the rearward portion of frame 17 is of inverted U shape positioned in straddling relation to the elevated rear end of intermediate frame 16. The boom maybe moved selectively upward or downward by universal-mounted front jacks 31, which are telescoping hydraulic jacks having dished-base support members 32 for skidding movement over the mine room oor.

The cuttings from the vein are collected mechanically by two endless conveyors 33, each carrying a series of flights 34 which `gather the fallen ore particles, move them into a central enclosure or housing 35 and conduct them rearwardly for discharge through a chute 36 onto a discharge conveyor 37. The conveyors 33 pass -around and outside of the dish-based support members 32 and are held in position Aagainst the floor by guides on the outside of the dish-based members. These guides position the conveyors 33 as they enter into the housing 35. On the return stretch Vor pass the conveyors pass through pivoted chutes 38 which are wheel supported as shown at 39 in FIG. l. The power to drive the chains 33 is provided by two electric motors 41 through a gear reducer 42 having two input and two output shafts (not shown) and a suitable transmission system 43.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main frame 17 terminates at its rear end in an inverted U-portion 17x which is of suitable dimension to straddle the underlying box-like portion 16x yof intermediate frame 16 through which porti-on the delivery stretches of chains 33 travel in moving the collected ore to the conveyor 37. The dual linkage 29 comprising the pivotal connection between the main `frame and intermediate frame includes a pivot pin 5o held on rear portion 17x of the -main frame acting as the forward pivot of a link 29x and another pivot pin 51 held on portion 16x comprises the rear pivot of link 29x. Support for the forward end of main frame 17 is provided by the pair of front jacks 31, and the rear end of said frame is `supported by the pair of leveling jacks 53 mounted on intermediate frame 16. The jacks 31 are of the telescoping type utilizing a flow of hydraulic 4fluid controlled by a valve (not shown) to provide a uniform elevating rate. The machine illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 has the largest cylinder of the front telescoping jacks pivotally mounted about the forward end of member 17 and the jack-s are arranged to extend their telescoping inner cylinders downwardly against the dish-shaped (support members 32. The reverse of this mounting arrangement is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in which the largest cylinders of the jacks are mounted on the dish-shaped support members and are arranged to extend their telescoping inner cylinders upwardly against the forward end of frame l17.

When Ia cut is being made by swinging cutter 18 and drum -19 upwardly, the resistance o-f the ore face to cutter movement varies and, -in effect, increases or decreases the weight of the rear end of the upper frame member 17 carrying the cutter, because member 17 acts as a lever arm with pin 45 as a fulcrum supporting it intermediate its ends, andn as the cutter 18 is elevated (see FIG. 3 for example) the resistance of the ore face to the cutter effectively increases the weight forward of the fulcrum represented by pin 45 thus, in effect, decreasing the weight to the rear -of said fulcrum. If not compensated for, the change in effective weight would result in reducing the rate of lift and rate of cut at the ore face.

Therefore, we include automatic valves or hydraulic accumulators (not shown) to increase or `decrease the fluid input or effective fiuid pressure to the hydraulic jacks 31 commensurate with the above-mentioned increase or decrease -in effective weight to maintain the desired constant rate of lift and cut. The automatic valves or accumulators have not :been shown since they are well known and known to be suitable for establishing a constant Irate of lift. However, we do desire that the valves or accumulators be manually operable so the jacks 31 may be independently adjusted 4for lateral leveling of the front of the machine and the cutter mounted thereon relative to the mine floor and ore face, `as desired.

Intermediate frame 16 receives partial support at its forward end from crawler frame 13 by a pivotal support assembly (see FIG. 6). This assembly includes a shaft 47 mounted -with its lengthwise axis parallel to the lengthwise axis of frame 16 and is journalled in bearings 48 which are secured on the underside of frame 16. The mounting blocks 4911 are seated on shaft 47 and secured to frame 16 so as to rotate or move therewith. A `second shaft 419 passes through openings in the mounting blocks 49b and has its ends journalled in bearings `19a which are mounted on the crawler frame 13, thereby permitting rocking movement of the blocks. This combination of shafts 47 and 49 provides, in effect, a universal joint allowing forward and rearward tilting o-f 4frame 16 yabout shaft 49 and sidewise tilting about shaft 47.

A position control is provided by a pair of leveling jacks 53, each having pivotal connections 54 with a cleat 55 attached to the top of rear portion 17x of the main frame. These jacks are also of the hydraulic telescoping type and have a pivotal connection 57 with another cleat 5o which is pivotally connected at 58 with the upper ends of stabilizing jacks 3f). Jacks 30- have another pivotal connection S9 at their lower ends providing the mounting of `such jacks on frame 13.

The leveling jacks 53 provide a means for raising and lowering the main frame at `the rear, which in turn positions the cutting drum when the main frame 17 is at rest on the adjustable stop 6ft' on crawler frame 13. Jacks 53 also may be operated independently for leveling. The stabilizing jacks 3i? are used to keep the intermediate frame balanced and level and keep its front resting on the mine floor during ore collecting operations and are the means of elevating said `frame when the machine moves forward or backward along the mine floor.

When the cutter unit swings upwardly, the entire main frame is pivoted Vabout the forward ends of connector links 29x and with lthe leveling jacks S3 set to maintain a fixed length, the forward ends of said links move in an arcuate path, thereby changing the pivot point of the main frame and, in effect, providing a floating pivot.

The leveling jacks 53 and stabilizing jacks 30 are hydraulic jacks which cooperate to serve as means to limit the pivotal movement of the rear end 17x of frame member 17. These jacks are maintained at a predetermined length of extension and can be maintained at that length by closing a valve in a hydraulic line which is interconnected with the hydraulic pressure cylinders of the jacks. The jacks 53 and 3@ are interconnected by pivotal attachment to a horizontal cleat beam 56 or through pins S7 and S8, which cleat is secured to and supports the rearward portion of :frame `16 and is free to move forward and backward. The opposite ends of the jacks are fixed, that is, the upper end `of jack 53 is pivotally secured to cleat 5S which is mounted frame 17 and the lower end of jack 30 is pivotally attached to the crawler frame 413. In such an arrangement, cleat Se and pivot pins `57 and 58 permit 4leveling before beginning a cut and also permit selective elevation of the rearward pivot 51 of the linkage assembly. During swinging movement under the forces applied by the forward telescoping jack pivot 51 remains at the elevation established #by the Ksetting of jack 30 whereas pivot 50 changes elevation through the change in elevation of frame 17. The resulting effect is to provide a ser-ies of pivotal axes about which the cutter moves in its elevating sweep of the ore face.

The floating pivot 5ft of the links 29 and 29x allows maximum extension yfrom the fixed frame 16 at the uppermost and lowermost positions of an attack at an ore face, and minimum extension at `substantially the centermost position. We prefer to term the foregoing arrangement a floating pivot since pin 51 is fixed relative to selfpropelled unit 12, while pivot pin Si? is movable with the rear end 17x dur-ing cutting movement. As the drum 19 rises, the rear portion 17x pivots so as to initially rise and then drop; and thereafter the pivot drops in the continuing elevation of drum 19. During this movement, the forward end of links 29 and 29x tend to float in space and scribe an arcuate path commensurate with the maximum-minimum extension of the `frame as the cutter makes `a substantially upright cut at lthe ore face. This arrangement produces a substantially linear vertical face in the cutting operation, as shown in FIG. 2, which -is ellipsoidal rather than an arcuate Iface `as indicated by the dash line representation 61. As a consequence a greater cutting height is attained than would be possible with a fixed pivot arrangement.

While the structural arrangements of the foregoing description represent preferred embodiments, the method of mining according yto the present invention may be practiced in a variety of apparatus. A distinctive fea- -ture of our novel method of mechanical mining is that the face is subjected to a disintegrating attack in each cutting cycle, including sumping `into the face at floor level by forward movement of the propulsion unit, which may be of any suitable type, rotating the cutter drum about its horizontal axis dur-ing a progressive elevating movement from floor to roof during which the distance of the drum from an axis about which it swings changes to maintain a more clearly uniform cutter penetration in the ore and to form an ellipsoidal or substantially flat face and collecting the fallen ore and moving it to an elevated point of discharge at the rea-r of the mining operation.

The positioning adjustments may tbe effected by a variety of structure, but we have found that the three part frame and the double pivot acting as a oating pivot yand movable by selective action of the jacks 31 provides a facile and efficient arrangement. The provision of the adjustment of jacks to assure a cutting action along a vertical plane regardless of licor contour also is a valuable feature in the overall action of the machine which will now be described.

With the boom or upper frame member lowered to place the under surface of the cutter at approximately floor level, the propulsion unit advances with the cutter rotating to penetrate the face and after the advance has reached the proper position determined by operator observation, the jacks are operated to elevate the cutter, and the rate of lift is maintained substantially constant until the roof position is reached. In the course of such movement, the floating pivot arrangement changes the location of the axis about which the boom swings, as it elevates and lowers, advances and retracts, in maintaining the proper degree of cutter penetration. At the completion of the cut the jacks can be operated to allow the cutter to descend until its movement is arrested by stop mechanism 60. The cutter clears the face throughout the extent of this descent and returns to the proper position for the next sumping advance.

The aforesaid actions permit the operator to maintain substantially optimum cutting efficiency in each cutting cycle. The rapidity of the boom return and its placement in proper operating position as a part of such return speeds the succession of cutting actions. Machines utilizing the novel methods of the present invention are particularly suited for continuous mining in areas where the vein is of substantial thickness and of variable inclination.

Changes and modifications may be availed of within the scope of our invention as set forth in the hereunto appended claim.

We claim:

In a mining machine, a self-propelled tractor including an upper fixed support member, an elongated rigid cutter mount positioned above the fixed support member and extending forwardly of the tractor, a rotary cutter mounted on the forward end of the mount, means carried by the tractor arranged to drive the cutter, support means carried forwardly of the tractor beneath the cutter mount, extensible means carried by the support means and having its upper end pivotally connected to the cutter mount adjacent its forward end arranged to impart upward and downward swinging movement to the cutter, a pair of adjustable hydraulic jacks including a rst jack pivotally interconnected at its top to the rear of the cutter mount and a second jack pivotally connected at its bottom to a lower portion of the tractor, the two jacks being pivotally inter-connected as an articulated joint at their respective opposite ends so as to allow rise and fall of the rear of the cutter mount during respective fall and rise of the cutter at the forward end of the mount, and a pair of elongated links pivotally interconnected to opposite sides of the rear of the cutter mount at one end and pivotally connected to the fixed support member rearwardly of the cutter mount at the other end arranged to allow relative forward and rearward movement of the cutter mount during swinging movement of the cutter.

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